Babysitting
by DawnfireJazz
Summary: A Neutral ship crashes leaving the Autobots to care for its cargo, a group of hyper sparklings
1. Chapter 1

Transformers: Babysitting

Chapter 1

It was a quiet day in the Ark, one of those peaceful moments as the Autobots recovered from a recent Decepticon attack on a power plant a few days ago. Luckily no one had been seriously hurt.

Some of the Bots were currently in the rec room like a pair of twins lounging on a couch. Sideswipe groaned causing his yellow twin to turn to him. "Man I'm board."

"Maybe you two delinquents could find something more productive to do with your free time," Prowl said as he walked by.

As soon as he was gone Sideswipe turned to his brother. "You know what Sunny he's right."

Sunstreaker raised an optic ridge at him surprised. "He is?"

"Yeah. . . want to go annoy Ratchet?"

Sunny though about it for a moment, "Sure." The two jumped to their feet and ran off.

Ironhide turned to Trailbreaker. "How the slag is that productive?"

* * *

"I'm telling you someone is messing with the systems," Red Alert grumbled. He was currently elbows deep in one of the computer systems.

"And I think it's in your head," Inferno answered. "We've check those systems and found nothing. Now come on let's head to the rec room."

"No," Red Alert pulled out enough to send a quick glare at the larger red mech.

"Ah, come on Red, it's not like anything's going to happen. . ."

Suddenly Teletraan 1 went off causing Red to slam his helm when he jumped. **:Alert! Alert!:**

* * *

Optimus was walking down the corridor when he noticed Sideswipe and Sunstreaker running towards Med Bay._That does not brood well,_ he thought. Before he could follow his comm. went off. He quickly answered :Yes Prowl?:

:Sir, your needed in the Command Center:

:What happened?:

:Were getting a signal from deep space:

:I'm on my way: Optimus hurried towards the Command Center. He almost stopped when he heard an explosion and Ratchet's annoyed shouting. He arrived to find Prowl with Jazz, Ironhide, Red Alert, Inferno and Blaster already there.

"Sir!" Red Alert called seeing his commanding officer. "The signals of Cybertroian origin."

"Autobot or Decepticon?" The Autobot leader asked.

"Not sure, were just getting a weak distress signal. . . And it's an older signal."

"Are they answering are hail's?"

"No."

"Hmm," Prowl stared at the screen. "There's a lot of unknowns here."

"See if you can block it from the Decepticon's. And try to find where they will land." Optimus ordered.

"Yes sir!" Red Alert, Prowl and Blaster got to work trying to block.

While they worked Optimus called together a recovery team. Soon Hound, Inferno, Smokescreen, Ironhide, Skyfire, Trailbreaker, Tracks, a distressed looking Wheeljack and a grumbling Ratchet joined him, Jazz and Prowl at the entrance.

"A ship will soon be landing and we don't know it it's friend or foe so we need to be ready for anything."

"Why would the Decepticons use a Ship, they have a Space bridge?" Tracks asked.

"If it is a Decepticon ship," Hound reminded him.

"Just be ready for anything," Optimus said. He then turned to the tallest member, "Skyfire."

"Understood," the shuttle told him as he transformed and allowed the others to board and was soon airborne.

Some time into the flight Jazz looked around before turning to Prowl, "Why isn' Bluestreak o' th' twins with us?"

Wheeljack looked away as Ratchet frowned. "That's an interesting story," the medic muttered.

Before Jazz could ask Skyfire's voice echoed through his hull "Everyone look." The gathered bots looked out the view screen to see a large trench hollowed in the ground.

"Nice landin'," Jazz chuckled.

Skyfire follow the trench till they spotted the ship half buried in the ground. Seeing no outside weapons on it Skyfire landed and opened his hatch allowing everyone out. The group carefully approached and got a good view of the mysterious ship. It was an older model, a little bigger than Skyfire's alternative mode and in serious need of repair. It was a miracle it had arrived in one piece.

_Well almost one piece,_ Optimus thought to himself as a part of the outer hull fell off.

"I haven't seen a ship like that in years," Ironhide spoke up.

"Everyone be ready," Optimus warned as they approached. "We don't know who's in there." Everyone nodded. "Attention, this is Optimus Prime leader of the Autobots. Identify yourselves?!" No answer came. "Attention, this is Optimus Prime leader of the Autobots! Identify yourselves!"

After five minutes and no sigh of aggression Wheeljack approach the craft and looked for a way to open it.

"Who da ya thinks inside?" Jazz asked.

"Hard to tell," Prowl answered as he stared intently at the ship.

Wheeljack finally got the hatch to open and everyone had their weapons ready as the hatch slowly opened.

"Attention, this is Optimus Prime leader of the Autobots. Identify yourselves?!" Only silence answered Prime. "I repeat identify yourselves?!"

Suddenly something came into sight. Everyone tensed for several seconds as the figure got closer only to gape as it came into the light. A small green and yellow Sparkling crawled towards the entrance. He was young, a newbuilt who couldn't even walk yet.

"I. . . don' think their dangerous," Ironhide said shocked. It had been awhile since any of them had seen a Sparkling.

Optimus handed his Ion Gun to Jazz and moved towards the Sparkling. Everyone stayed alert just in case of trouble as their leader kneeled in front of the sparkling who gazed at him curiously as Optimus reached for him.

"NO!" Everyone was startled when a slightly older yellow femme sparkling ran out of the ship and scooped the younger sparkling into her arms.

Optimus shook off his shock and reach towards her, "It's all right little one. I won't hurt you."

The small femme backed away from him holding the smaller sparkling closer clearly not convinced. "P-Promise," she asked in a small trembling voice.

Clearly wanting to trust an adult but not sure if it was safe, it pulled at Optimus spark. "I promise little one." He reached forward and lifted the two into his arms. "Are there others inside?"

The femme nodded and Ironhide and Prowl went inside the ship to check.

Optimus handed the two to Jazz and followed them into the ship. Jazz offered the young femling a gentle smile. "Hey there littl' lady, th' name's Jazz."

As Optimus walked into the dark ship he saw Prowl heading towards the he could follow Prowl suddenly called for Ratchet. The medic ran inside and with Optimus ran into the bridge. Reaching the second in command they saw what had caught Prowl's attention. A mech laid across the controls, already gunmetal gray in death. The three gently laid him on the ground and Ratchet started examining him. Optimus took the moment to look around, besides the flight deck there were in there were three separate rooms in the small ship.

"He's gone, I'd say from the crash but he was also low on energy," Ratchet said after looking the mech over.

"He must have given everything to bring those Sparklings here," Optimus said sadly while wondering if he could have been saved.

Before anyone could answer Ironhide's surprised voice echoed throughout the ship. "**HOLLY PRIMAS!**"

"Now what?" Ratchet grumbled.

"**Ironhide!**" Optimus shouted running in the direction of the call. Ironhide was in one of the extra rooms with his back to them, when they reached him Optimus placed a hand on the red warrior's shoulder. "Ironhide what. . ." He trailed off seeing what had surprised the red warrior.

Seven other Sparklings huddled together. At the sight of them one burst into tears. Optimus could only stare before finally turning to his men to find they to shared his look of shock.


	2. Chapter 2

Transformers: Babysitting

Chapter 2

(Before the alert)

Sideswipe was disappointed to find Ratchet wasn't in the med bay. Sunstreaker, not so much. "Well he's not here, let's go."

He turned to leave but Sides grabbed his shoulder, "Sunny look! Wheeljack's lab is opened." Before Sunstreaker could say anything his red twin ran inside. Grumbling the golden twin followed. Sideswipe looked like a sparkling in a energon goodie shop. "What do you think? Should we rearrange all his beakers and tools?"

"How about we don't," Sunstreaker didn't like this, "They don't call this No Man's land for nothing you know."

"That's the fun."

"Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, is that you?" Bluestreak poked his helm into the lab. "What are you doing? You're going to get caught and. . ."

Sideswipe grabbed the Praxian's shoulder and pulled him in. "Relax Blue, what can happen."

"Wheeljack could return, that's what," Cliffjumper snapped as he walked in followed by Bumblebee.

"Your going to get in trouble," Bee warned them.

"I agree with the half-pints," Sunstreaker added.

"HALF-PINTS!" CJ cried.

The Aerial Bots had been walking by the lab when they heard the commotion and looked inside. "Alright, a fight," Air Raid cheered.

"There's no fight," Bumblebee argued..

"Ah come on, it will be the most fun we've had in awhile," Slingshot laughed.

"Watch it flyboy," Sunstreaker snapped.

"Hey Wheeljack," First Aid walked in with Blades , the two supporting a large crate between them, "We brought the. . ." Aid almost dropped his end when he saw everyone in the lab. "What are you doing in here?"

"We were just passing by," Silverbolt declared.

"And watching the fight." Slingshot wasn't very helpful. Fireflight and Skydive snickered.

"There's no fight," Bumblebee argued.

"Yeah," Air Raid drawled, "Not much of a fight between these two." He gestured between Cliffjumper and Sunstreaker.

"**HEY!**" The red minibot lunged at the taller flyer.

Bumblebee tried to stop CJ but not before he knocked Air Raid back.

"**_BE CAREFUL!_** There are sensitive chemicals in here!" First Aid cried drooping his side of the crate.

Blades tried to keep his grip but he lost it causing it the heavy box land on his ped. "**OW!**"

Air Raid slammed into a desk. Unnoticed by everyone a beaker on a shelf filled with a clear liquid toppled onto its side causing it's continents to pour into the beaker below that was filled with a green liquid. Everyone failed to see the chemicals beginning to bubble until. . .

"Um, guys," Bluestreak pointed. Everyone turned. . . **BOOM!** Everyone was thrown off their feet as a sticky substance struck them.

Everyone laid there stunned till. "Ohhh," Sideswipe was the first to recover, pushing himself up and found everyone including himself covered in a sticky green goo.

"Ack!" Sunstreaker cried when he took in his appearance.

"Well," Sideswipe said, "That didn't go to bad."

At that moment Wheeljack ran in, "What hap. . . **_AHHHHHHH!_**"

"Wheeljack!" Ratchet snapped walking in, "What did you destroy this time. . . What. The. **Slag!**" The medic cried seeing the young bot's covered in green sludge in the middle of the destroyed lab.

"Um, Ratchet," Sideswipe tried thinking, "There's a perfectly good explanation for all this."

"And that is?!"

"Well. . . it's all Air Raid's fault."

"**WHAT?!**" The former white and red jet glared at him.

Before Ratchet could say more their comms went off. :What:

:Nice ta hear ya ta Ratch: Jazz answered.

:Having some problems here. What's going on:

:Were putting a recovery team together and Wheeljack and ya are on it:

Now Ratchet was curious, :What happened:

:A ship's coming in and we don't know who's in it:

:We'll be right there. . . but leave Blue, Bee, CJ, the twins and the Aerialbots off the list, they have. . . other priorities to deal with:

:I take it there's a story there:

:I'll explain later: Ratchet signed off and turned to a still shell-shocked Wheeljack. "Were needed in the Command Center."

"What about us?" Sideswipe dared to ask.

"I'm not going anywhere looking like this!" Sunstreaker snarled.

"That's good. . . Because you're not going anywhere!" Ratchet glared at the whole lot. First Aid fidgeted but didn't say anything.

"Hay! We didn't do anything," Fireflight argued.

"Then your guilty of association. Now you get to clean up this mess! All of you!"

"Come on Ratchet, really?" Sideswipe groaned.

The look that came to Ratchet's face could of scared Megatron. "This lab better be cleaned up or _else!_" No one argued with him as he stormed off dragging Wheeljack with him.

* * *

(Later that day)

In the med bay Ratchet was looking over their new arrivals. "There all healthy, just low on energon,"

"Where did they come from?" Prowl spoke up.

"Blaster and Perceptor are hacking the ships memory banks now," Optimus told him.

He looked over their new arrivals, like all sparklings they were a little bigger then a human or Mini-con, but not by much, and smaller than Bumblebee with bright optics that seem too big for their faces. Some we're just starting to show details of what their natural altromodes could be when they were old enough to transform. Their armor wasn't even harden yet, sparklings were very fragile and would need lots of attention.

"So. . .," Jazz scratched his helm, "What are we going to do with them?"

"Help them get settled first," Optimus replied. He leaned down and looked as the yellow femling. "Can you tell me your names?"

"Were not suppose ta talk ta strangers," the little yellow femme told him.

"And that's good advice," Optimus told her. "How about I tell you my name so we won't be strangers anymore and you can tell me your friends and your name."

"Ummm, okay."

"I'm Optimus Prime."

"You have a fancy name, I'm Sunlight," the femme said. "And this is Greenfoot." She hugged the younger Sparkling. Sunlight then pointed to the others, "That's Icefall, Cometrun, Static, Dasher, Vex, Ember and Speedbump."

Optimus looked over the now named Sparklings. Sunlight was the oldest of the group, she had a light gray face, upper arms and legs. She had large soft green optics and white peds, there were white highlights around her neck and waist as well. She had a light yellow helm with a white diamond-like crest on the crown and the equivalent of a ponytail in a darker shade of yellow. The front of her chest, pelvic plates and the front of her lower legs were the same dark yellow while the sides of her chest and back were light yellow along with her lowers arms and the back of her lower legs.

Greenfoot was the youngest of the group, a newbuilt not even able to walk or talk yet. He had large blue optics and yellow lower arms and hands and upper legs. His chest, pelvic plates, waist, lower legs and peds, were dark green. The sides of his chest and upper arms were a shade of aqua green. His rounded helm was also a light aqua green with a yellow highlight running down the middle leading to a square crest.

Optimus looked at the others, Icefall had a light red face and was mainly blue expect for a gray bumper on his chest and a yellow highlight on his helm above his blue visor that covered his blue optics and a square helm. He also had a fun loving mischief look that reminder the Prime of Jazz and Sideswipe. That one was obliviously going to be a trouble maker.

Cometrun was a femme Seekerling with light blue optics. She was pink and light purple. Her helm, chest plates, pelvic plates, peds, lowers arms and hands were pink while her upper arms, waist and legs were light purple. She had a yellow cockpit and small purple wings with pink and white highlights. She kept trying to hug a orange Sparkling identified as Static.

Static, Optimus could tell was some type of Cassette holder like Blaster. He had yellow optics and was mainly orange with yellow upper arms and legs and hands with gray lower legs and peds and twin gray antenna on his orange helm. He kept trying to wiggle out of Cometrun's arms.

Dasher was a big sparkling, slightly taller than Sunspot and the bulkiest among them. He had a dark gray face and light red optics. He was mainly purple with black shoulder armor, pelvic plates and the front of his lower legs along with a gray band around his helmet. He glance around with a curious look.

Vex was a Praxian like Prowl, Bluestreak and Smokescreen with a orange chevron on his dark green helm and small light green door wings. Most of his chest and lower legs were a similar light green while the rest of his chest, shoulders, lower arms, peds and pelvic plates were a darker green. His upper arms, legs, hands and waist were gray. He had blue optics and a yellow face. Optimus noticed he kept glancing around nervously.

Ember was a femme with light purple optics and a light gray face, upper arms, hands, waist and upper legs. Her helm, chest, pelvic plates, lower arms and legs were pink with lighter pink highlights around her helm, neck, waist, hands and peds. She had a pink diamond chest on her helm and pink metal pick tails that reminded him of a femme Vibes back on Cybertron.

And finally little Speedbump, he was smaller than the other's expect for Greenfoot and Optimus could tell he was a Mini-bot. Mainly red with some white highlights on his helm and on the top and sides of his chest and white peds, he had green optics, a light gray face and a square shaped helm.

He patted Icefall on the helm, "It's nice to meet all of you, you know my name," he gestured to the others in the med bay, "This is Jazz, Prowl Ironhide and our medic Ratchet." Each mech nodded as he was introduced.

Jazz had a big grin as he leaned down to be closer to the sparklings level, "Hey mini-mech's. . . and femmes like the big boss said I'm Jazz. Welcome to base." He held his hand up, "Who wants to high-five?" The sparklings gave his curious looks so he showed Icefall how to high-five

Watching this several of the sparklings raised their hands to high-five as well. Optimus smiled behind his mask, things were differently going to be interesting around here.

* * *

"Finally, it's over," Sunstreaker groaned. They had finally cleaned out Wheeljack's lab and themselves and were now headed for the rec room.

"I can't believe we had to clean the lab," Air Raid grumbled.

"You were the one that knocked over the stuff," Cliffjumper snapped.

"You pushed me!"

"Your both to blame," Blades snapped at both of them, "But we didn't do anything and still got punished." First Aid didn't say anything.

"Guys, it's over," Silverbolt tried to calm everyone, "Just get over it and move on."

"Stay out of this!" Several snapped. They were so busy arguing they didn't notice there was a lot of noise coming from the red room.

When they entered a small orange form ran by almost tripping Sunstreaker. "What the. . . ?" The golden bot exclaimed in surprise. The whole group stared as several Sparkling's ran around the room, ducking under tables or running around the bigger bot's legs.

"How long were we cleaning?" Sideswipe asked.

"Attention everyone," Optimus called, when everyone turned to him he continued, "As you all know less than three Joor's ago a Cybertroian ship landed here. Upon investigation it's pilot was already deactivated but nine sparklings were discovered alive. Until we discover where they came from they will remain here under are care."

Some looked excited at this, it had been to long since they had sparklings around. Others groaned in dismay. "Great, a bunch of little rug-rats running around," Tracks muttered.

Blaster snickered and elbowed the winged bot. "I think you have an admirer Tracks."

"What?"

Blaster pointed and Tracks turned to see Greenfoot crawling towards him with as much determination as a sparkling could muster. When he reached the older bot he placed his hands on Tracks ped and looked up at him with a huge smile then promptly laid his head on the Autobot's ped like he was going to take a nap right there.

"Awww," Wheeljack couldn't resist the sight. "That's kind of cute."

"He likes you," Jazz snickered.

"But. . . why me?" Tracks demanded. He had never been one for children, not that he disliked them he just wasn't any good with them.

"Maybe you resemble his shire," First Aid offered as he picked up the Sparkling. Tracks cast a glance at the green and yellow silver faced Sparkling with no resemblance to him, at all. He gave the medic-in-training a doubtful look. "Well. . . you could," was all Aid said.

"This is all we need," Red Alert exclaimed,."More security risks."

"I don't know," Air Raid said. "I think their kind of cute."

"But how come we weren't that small?" Skydive asked.

"Because," Ratchet said annoyed as he tried to calm Vex down, "You were created by Victor Sigma with Allspark created sparks in premade frames. You weren't sparked by creator's."

The Aerialbots glanced at each other confused then looked at Ratchet. "Sparked?" they said in union.

Ratchet froze when he realized what they were asking.

"Go ahead," a gleeful Sideswipe called. "Give them the, 'how to the humans put it', birds and the bees talk."

He barely ducked the wrench thrown at him. "**I'll give ****_You_**** a talk!**" Ratchet snarled chasing the younger mech into the corridors as everyone watched

Icefall giggled, "Silly."


End file.
